Railroad cross-tie.



UNITED STATES union'.

PATENT FREDERICK VILLMONT DUNNELL, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPEGEFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 683,7 34, datedOctober l, 1901.

Application filed January 25, 1901. Serial No. 44,689. (No model.\

T0 tu whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK WILLMoNr DUNNELL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Springfield, in the county of Hampden andState of Massachusetts, have invented a new and klin proved RailroadCross- Tie, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

One object of this invention is to utilize a waste material, such asleather scraps and worn-out foot-gear, in the manufacture of railroadcross-ties, a further object being to provide a cross-tie of leather andmetal plates suit-ably constructed which is simple, practical, andefficient in service.

The invention consists in the novel coustruction and combination ofparts, as is hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a plan view ot' the improved cross tie and portions of twotrack rails mounted thereon. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view-substantially on the line 3 3in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view substantially onthe line 4 4 in Fig. 1.

In carrying into effect the features of invention a suitable number ofsimilar blocks 5 are provided, these consisting of pulped andsubsequently consolidated leather. As shown, said blocks each consist ofa rectangular slab of proper thickness and area.

In order to utilize waste leather and wornout boots and shoes in themanufacture of the blocks 5, such material is ground into pulp with asuitable liquid to form a plastic mass. This material is then formedinto sheets that represent the thickness of the blocks, which aresubsequently cut from the sheets into rectangular form, and then theyare assembled to form a cross-tie, as follows:

The series of blocks 5 have each a central perforation formed therein,and a bolt 6 is passed therethrough, said bolt having a head o. on oneend and a nut b on the threaded opL posite end of the same. The bolt 6is of a length which conforms with the length of the cross-tie to beformed, and exterior of the blocks 5 at each end of the tie awasher-plate 7 is located on the bolt.

The assembled blocks 5 are arranged so that their edges will be disposedin four planes, that represent respective sides of the cross-tie when itis completed, and the series of tie-blocks are now compressed againsteach other in sequence by a proper adjustment of the nut b, therebyproducing a leather tiebody.

Upon opposite faces of the tie-body, which respectively represent upperand lower sides thereof, two similar metallic plates S 9 are secured bybolts c, 8 being the cap-plate of the cross-tie, and 9 the base-platethereof. The cap-plate 8 and base-plate 9 have each a plurality offlanges 8 and 9, respectively, formed thereon along their side edges atspaced intervals, and it is to be understood that any preferred numberof said iianges may be employed. The width between opposite flanges onthe cap-plate 8 and likewise paired flanges to closely bear upon theside walls of the cross-tie body, and thus prevent the material of thebody from yieldinglaterally.

Upon the cap-plate S, at a proper' distance from each end thereof,provision is made to retain track-rails A A in place on a plurality ofthe cross-ties of a railroad. To this end proparly-positioned orifices dare formed in the cap-plate 8 for reception of the ordinaryrailroad-spikes e, which may be driven into the body of the tie at eachside of each trackrail and bear with their hooked heads upon thebase-flange of each track-rail in the usual manner.

To reinforce the binding action of the spikes e, two clam ping-plates 10are provided for each end portion of the cross-tie, said plates havingone end portion of each one bent to adapt it to bear upon the head of anadjacent spike c, the remaining part of each clamping-plate, which isseated upon the capplate S, being bolted thereon by screw-bolts, thatpass through registering pert'orations in the clamps and cap-plate, asindicated in Figs. 2 and 3.

It is claimed for the improved cross-tie that it is of moderate cost, isvery durable, is

`on the base-plate 9 is such as will adapt these IOS su'i'icientlyelastic to afford elieient service, and is mainly formed of a Wasteproduct.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to securebyLetters Patent- 1. A cross-tie, comprising a leather body, and platesof metal adapted to hold the body consolidated.

2. A crosstie, comprisingaseries of leather blocks held together by abolt to form a tiebody, and reinforced laterally by plates of metalsecured on said body.

3. A cross-tie, comprisinga series of leather blocks held together insequence by a bolt and Washer-plates thereon.

4. A cross-tie, comprising a series of rectangular leather blocks flaton the sides, said blocks each having a central orifice, a bolt andscrew-nut, and Washer-plates placed on the bolt near its ends after theleather blocks are located in sequence on the bolt-bod y, the

leather tie-body being consolidated by an ad` justment of the screw-nut.

5. In a crosstie, the combination with a series of rectangularcentrally-perforated tieblocks, Washer-plates at the ends of the cross-FREDERICK WILLMONT DUNNELL.

Witnesses:

RALPH W. ELLIS, CARRIE E. BACON.

